Seeking Parable Info: River Missing Clouds; River Becomes Lonely...

Hello There !! Terribly sorry to intrude, but I m in need of expert Meditational, Buddhist, or merely Philosophical advice... I m seeking an in-depth version

Message 1 of 3
, Mar 1, 2007

Hello There !!

Terribly sorry to intrude, but I'm in need of expert Meditational,
Buddhist, or merely Philosophical advice...

I'm seeking an in-depth version of a philosophical parable I've heard
recently. The basic premise is this: "There once was a river who
enjoyed his life immensely, and his best friend{s}in the entire world
were a set of clouds in the sky. One day the river awoke to find the
clouds had disappeared, and he was sad, lonely, and troubled beyond
description... The Sun came-out and explained to the river that the
clouds didn't simply disappear, they had turned-into condensation and
through the form of rain, they'd rained down into the Earth and
actually become a part of the river itself... The Sun explained to
the river that he shouldn't be sad because he hadn't really lost
anything -- he had absorbed the clouds, so therfore he shouldn't be
sad or lonely."

Does anyone out there have any idea where I can locate on the
Internet a more precise version of this parable ?

Even a book reference for a book I could order would be most
welcomed. I'm really trying to find this original story / parable and
I'm not having much luck doing a "Google" search on the Internet.

The River and the Clouds Thich Nhat Hanh Once upon a time there was a beautiful river finding her way among the hills, forests, and meadows. She began by being

Message 2 of 3
, Mar 1, 2007

The River and the Clouds

Thich Nhat Hanh

Once upon a time there was a beautiful river finding her way among
the hills, forests, and meadows. She began by being a joyful stream
of water, a spring always dancing and singing as she ran down from
the top of the mountain. She was very young at the time, and as she
came to the lowland she slowed down. She was thinking about going to
the ocean. As she grew up, she learned to look beautiful, winding
gracefully among the hills and meadows.

One day she noticed the clouds within herself. Clouds of all sorts
of colors and forms. She did nothing during these days but chase
after clouds. She wanted to possess a cloud, to have one for
herself. But clouds float and travel in the sky, and they are always
changing their form. Sometimes they look like an overcoat, sometimes
like a horse. Because of the nature of impermanence within the
clouds, the river suffered very much. Her pleasure, her joy had
become just chasing after clouds, one after another, but despair,
anger,and hatred became her life.

Then one day a strong wind came and blew away all the clouds in the
sky. The sky became completely empty. Our river thought that life
was not worth living, for there were no longer any clouds to chase
after. She wanted to die. "If there are no clouds, why should I be
alive?" But how can a river take her own life?

That night the river had the opportunity to go back to herself for
the first time. She had been running for so long after something
outside of herself that she had never seen herself. That night was
the first opportunity for her to hear her own crying, the sounds of
water crashing against the banks of the river. Because she was able
to listen to her own voice, she discovered something quite important.

She realized that what she had been looking for was already in
herself. She found out that clouds are nothing but water. Clouds are
born from water and will return to water. And she found out she
herself was also water.

The next morning when the sun was in the sky, she discovered
something beautiful. She saw the blue sky for the first time. She
had never noticed it before. She had only been interested in clouds,
and she had missed seeing the sky, which is the home of all the
clouds. Clouds are impermanent, but the sky is stable. She realized
that the immense sky had been within her heart since the very
beginning. This great insight brought her peace and happiness. As
she saw the vast wonderful blue sky, she knew that her peace and
stability would never be lost again.

That afternoon the clouds returned, but this time she did not want
to possess any of them. She could see the beauty of each cloud, and
she was able to welcome all of them. When a cloud came by, she would
greet him or her with loving-kindness. When the cloud wanted to go
away, she would wave to him or her happily and with loving kindness.
She realized that all clouds are her. She didn't have to choose
between the clouds and herself. Peace and harmony existed between
her and the clouds.

That evening something wonderful happened. When she opened her heart
completely to the evening sky she received the image of the full
moon - beautiful, round, like a jewel within herself. She had never
imagined that she could receive such a beautiful image. There is a
very beautiful poem in Chinese: "The fresh and beautiful moon is
travelling in the utmost empty sky. When the mind-rivers of living
beings are free, that image of the beautiful moon will reflect in
each of us."

This was the mind of the river at that moment. She received the
image of that beautiful moon within her heart, and water, clouds,
and moon took each other's hands and practiced walking meditation
slowly, slowly to the ocean.

There is nothing to chase after. We can go back to ourselves, enjoy
our breathing, our smiling, ourselves, and our beautiful
environment.

> recently. The basic premise is this: "There once was a river who
> enjoyed his life immensely, and his best friend{s}in the entire

world

> were a set of clouds in the sky. One day the river awoke to find

the

> clouds had disappeared, and he was sad, lonely, and troubled

beyond

> description... The Sun came-out and explained to the river that

the

> clouds didn't simply disappear, they had turned-into condensation

and

> through the form of rain, they'd rained down into the Earth and
> actually become a part of the river itself... The Sun explained to
> the river that he shouldn't be sad because he hadn't really lost
> anything -- he had absorbed the clouds, so therfore he shouldn't

be

> sad or lonely."
>
> Does anyone out there have any idea where I can locate on the
> Internet a more precise version of this parable ?
>
> Even a book reference for a book I could order would be most
> welcomed. I'm really trying to find this original story / parable